Operation Hogwarts
by HounouNiTsubasa
Summary: Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi are sent to Hogwarts to do two things: protect Harry Potter and bring Orochimaru back to Konoha, dead or alive. Takes place during the Triwizard Tournament, Fourth year.
1. Operation Start

Hi~! :D So, I've become obsessed with Naruto and Harry Potter crossovers ^^; And I just couldn't resist writing one myself ;D

;~; I realize that there are so many other fics with nearly the exact same plotline, but I'm hoping that mine will be different in both style and plot :D

As always, if you spot any errors such as syntax, grammar, logical sense, etc. don't hesitate to tell me :O I do read through what I write, and then I save a day to reread and fix errors, but I'm human D: I can't catch everything...

By the way... I have no idea what to put for the genre... ._. It shall be genreless! O-O

Disclaimer: I own neither... And I never will D:

oOo

Chapter One- Operation Start

It certainly was a fine morning in the village of Konoha. The everyday village life started slowly, just like a rusty engine warming up.

But of course, a ninja village is never _that _peaceful.

With that being said, the main troublemaker along with his teammates, or better known as friends, was situated in the Hokage's office.

Uzumaki Naruto stood in the center of the room, a pout on his face and a displeased twinkle in his blue eyes with his arms crossed in defiance. Small spikes of vibrant blonde hair framed his face and stuck up all around the back and top of his head, making it look like he had vigorously rubbed his head with a balloon early in the morning. He wore the standard ANBU uniform-black undergarments with silver plated armor. His mask was on backwards, covering the back of his head rather than the front.

Haruno Sakura, a girl with light pink hair, lounged on a chair that was placed against a wall, her fingers idly spinning a kunai. She too wore the ANBU uniform, but her mask was secured to her hip. Her dull, jade green eyes screamed boredom as she watched what happened every single time their squad received a mission.

Uchiha Sasuke leaned against the wall opposite of Sakura. His black bangs hung limply on either side of his pale face. His hair was short and naturally spiked in the back. Bleached black eyes stared indifferently at the scene before them. A mask was resting snugly on Sasuke's shoulder and the ANBU uniform had also been equipped.

The rather well endowed Hokage glared at Naruto, a strong tick forming in her right eye.

"He's late!" Tsunade snarled savagely. Her left hand was gripping a bottle of sake and her right, a pen.

"So? He's always late," Naruto retorted, sticking his nose in the air. "It's not like we can do anything about it."

"I specifically told you to tell him to _be on time!_" the Hokage growled, extremely displeased.

"We did," Sakura said nonchalantly as she looked at her fingernails, filing them with the kunai she was spinning earlier.

Tsunade, with her cloudy face and eyes narrowed, looked murderous. She calls together her best team for a very important mission and one of them decides to be late!

Suddenly, there was a small poof to the right of Naruto and there stood Hatake Kakashi, wearing his ANBU uniform and carrying his mask in one hand with an aloof expression on his face.

"You're late!" three occupants shouted. Sasuke just glared at his former instructor.

"Well, you see," Kakashi began, scratching his fluffy, gray hair with his free hand. "I was on my way here when I found a dolphin on the side of the road and I just _had_ to help it return to the ocean at the expense of being late. My good conscience wouldn't let me leave it alone."

Sasuke snorted in disbelief. What conscience?

Sakura rolled her eyes at another ridiculous excuse.

Naruto gaped and then said, "But we don't have dolphins here!"

Kakashi beamed. "Exactly! That's why it took me such a long time to get it back home!"

Tsunade snapped. "You expect me to believe your bullshit, Kakashi!" She threw her sake bottle at him as if it were a kunai.

Kakashi swiftly ducked as the bottle homed for his nose, and winced as the bottle smashed against the wall, the fragments lodged parallel to the ground.

_That could have been my face! _Kakashi whimpered inside his head, while peeking up from his crouching spot on the floor. Naruto and Sakura snickered in the background.

Sensing a storm, Sasuke smoothly cut in, "We're all here, Tsunade-sama. I think it's best to proceed with the mission briefing."

"Yes… yes, you're right Uchiha," Tsunade said, still seething. She coughed and then became serious. The ANBU squad members came to attention and filed into a single row in front of Tsunade's desk, side by side with their arms held behind their backs.

"We have received a very urgent and critical mission from the English continent," Tsunade lectured, her voice sharp. "A school of witchcraft and wizardry called Hogwarts has asked for guards. Their kind is currently engaged in a war against their mortal enemy, Lord Voldemort."

Naruto interrupted with a derisive snort. "Hogwarts? What kind of school names themselves after an animal's warts? And _Lord Voldemort?_ My soul is cowering in fright."

"Shut up, brat. There are many people that do more than cower in fright when his name is mentioned," Tsunade snapped, a vein popping. "The school this year is hosting a tournament and two foreign schools will be competing."

Every ninja was acquainted with the concept of magic. In the beginning, however, they found it troublesome to rely on a stick that could easily be snapped in two, misplaced, or stolen. Not only that, but the time it required to say a spell and the focus a more advanced spell required consumed too much time when someone could simply tackle you, disarm you, and you'd be done and dead. Hence, the ninja society looked further inside of themselves for an alternate solution and discovered chakra.

"A tournament with an influx of foreign students? That leaves a lot of opportunities for infiltration," Kakashi remarked from behind his Icha Icha Paradise book.

"I agree," Sakura said after wondering when the pervert had taken the book out. "Having a tournament with foreigners while your enemy is still lurking in some unknown location is not the brightest idea." She furrowed her eyebrows and frowned as she continued, "But what bothers me more is the fact that we are getting involved in someone else's war. It sounds like a grand scale one too."

Tsunade sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "Yes, it's a war that will decide the future of their society. I, too, was initially against accepting this mission due to that fact. However, the client was a very good friend of the Third. I have met him, Albus Dumbledore, and he managed to convince me of the utmost importance protecting the subject, Harry Potter, is. He seems to be their linchpin and only ray of hope in this whole mess. This mission has been moved up in priority in accordance to an event that occurred at one of their sporting events recently.

"Remember to stick to the mission: do not reveal the secrets to even the smallest technique, do not leak information about Konoha or any of the other villages, protect this Potter boy, and subdue as many dark wizards and witches with minimal damage to the environment."

"Wait a moment, old hag," Naruto piped. Tsunade flexed her fingers threateningly in front of Naruto at mention of the endearing name. "We're the best of the best of the very best. This mission level could have easily been matched with Neji's team or Kiba's. Why choose us?"

Tsunade leaned forward, her elbows on the desk and fingers interlaced. "That is because Lord Voldemort has a connection to Orochimaru."

Everyone in the room tensed.

"Indirectly, you could say that Lord Voldemort is the product of an advent admiration of Orochimaru. They apparently met when Lord Voldemort was known as Tom Riddle. It is much like the Hitler and Mussolini situation of the past." Tsunade stared at all of them, her eyes hard. "That is why in addition to this mission, you are also receiving another one: bring Orochimaru back to Konoha, alive or dead. I don't trust anyone other than you four to deal with Orochimaru, who is most likely in hiding with Lord Voldemort."

Sasuke was calm in appearance, but underneath his blood was boiling. The snake bastard had escaped their last siege and he was now screwing with virtually two different worlds. He expected the same reaction to occur within his teammates. True enough, when he glanced at them, Naruto was leaking demonic energy out of rage, Sakura's fists were balled up and shaking with fury, and Kakashi's eyes could be seen dangerously narrowed over the top of his book.

"Tsunade-sama," Sasuke addressed, "since this is about magic, then shouldn't we also be equipped with wands? Even though I find them a burden compared to our method of combat, it wouldn't be very good to have any kind of disadvantage."

Tsunade waved Sasuke's concern away with a wave of her hand. "The wizards have a place called 'Diagon Alley.' You could call it the shopping center for everything magic. There's a wand shop there. However, you'll be receiving wands once you arrive at the school. Now, you guys have three hours to pack whatever you think you'll need for the missions. Realize that you'll be gone for the length of a school year when you pack. Also, you'll be arriving about two weeks before the school term actually begins in order to become acquainted with your surroundings. Now get out!" She roared the last part.

"Y'know, your unwomanly attitude is the reason you never attracted any men, despite your big breasts," Naruto taunted, grinning.

"Oh, is that so?" Tsunade reached underneath her desk and pulled out another sake bottle.

"Bye!" Kakashi said hastily before he disappeared in a flash.

Naruto gulped as he eyed the bottle and looked around for his companions.

They were already gone.

The young demon vessel cursed them as he gave a withering smile to the outraged blond and quickly scampered out of the room.

Shizune walked in with a stack of papers just as Naruto had fled the room. "Tsunade-sama, I have your-" A bottle crashed centimeters from Shizune's right ear.

_Shit_ Tsunade thought, bracing herself once her assistant had fully processed what had happened.

"TSUNADE-SAMA, STOP DRINKING AND DO YOUR PAPERWORK PROPERLY!"

oOo

The young ones in the former Team Seven group met up at Ichiraku's after the briefing.

"What kind of teammates are you?" Naruto complained as he took a seat on a stool. "You two just left me alone with that demon!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're almost nineteen. Deal with it."

"Besides, you're the one that insulted her on a touchy subject," Sakura commented, smirking.

"Where'd Kakashi go?" Naruto asked as he began to down a bowl of ramen, ignoring what Sakura said.

"He was walking around with his nose in _that_ book," Sasuke answered. He neatly broke his chopsticks and also began to eat.

Sakura giggled. "I bet he's going to have some _fun_ with Iruka-sensei before we leave."

Naruto gagged on his second bowl.

Sasuke gave a small cough.

"Sakura, don't say those kinds of things! Iruka-sensei is like, my family! That's just gross." Naruto made a sour face as he pushed away his bowl of ramen. "I've lost my appetite…"

The pink haired girl gave another giggle with a knowing look shimmering in her eyes. "Don't you dare complain, you idiot. You've got probably the sexiest man alive with you."

The blonde looked as if a light bulb had turned on in his head. With a wolfish grin, he turned to Sasuke and purred, "You know, there's still _plenty_ of time before we're due back in the old hag's office."

"No sex," Sasuke stated firmly without looking up as he finished his ramen.

Naruto looked crestfallen. "But, but, but…!" he wailed. Sakura was having a fit of giggles. "I have a fox in me! Do you know how often foxes have _urges?_"

"No, and I don't care. The answer is still no," the raven said as he paid. It was his turn to pay for the group and he was glad Naruto hadn't consumed twelve bowls. "So Sakura, how's it going with Gaara?" Sasuke asked, with a malicious smirk. _Payback for reminding Naruto about sex. _

Naruto snickered at Sakura's blushing face completely forgetting that he was supposed to be seducing someone.

"E-Everything's going fine!" she stammered before her voice gained more edge. "And it's really none of your business." Ah, inner Sakura just burst through. "Well, I'm going to pack, so I'll see you boys later." The female kunoichi left.

Naruto's eyes gained a perverted gleam now that they were alone. "So Sasuke…"

"No, dobe."

oOo

Exactly three hours later from the time they left the Hokage's office, the four ANBU ninjas met once more.

Kakashi wasn't late this time.

Tsunade smirked in triumph. Perhaps this was the path for a new, punctual Hatake Kakashi?

Her smirk faltered when she heard Shizune give a small 'ahem.'

The assistant wasn't pleased with the amount of work Tsunade had gotten done compared to how much she drank, so she stayed in the office to make sure Tsunade would work.

The ANBU squad snickered quietly behind their masks, which were now properly secured over each face.

"A-Anyway, here's the portkey. It'll transport you directly to Hogwarts," Tsunade said while inching away from Shizune.

"Uh… That's an empty can of coke," Naruto said. His tone was kind; it was the same kind of tone someone used to explain something simple to another.

"I know what it is!" Tsunade spat. She was feeling exasperated and irritated due to the daunting prospect of paperwork after these four left. "It should almost be time now," she muttered. Tsunade tossed the can to the Uchiha and instructed, "All of you have to touch it- just put down your book, Kakashi- and before I forget, Uchiha's captain on this one!"

The last thing she saw was Naruto spluttering and Sasuke smirking. Or at least, she assumed that Sasuke was smirking. The masks really left much to the imagination.

"Now then, Tsunade-sama," Shizune sweetly smiled when the four had disappeared. "Your. Paperwork. Please."

Shizune was every secretary's ideal model and every boss's worst nightmare.

oOo

The portkey ride was short, but uncomfortable. When they arrived at Hogwarts, they managed to land on their feet as the can hit the marble floor with a loud clang and quickly began to observe their surroundings.

It was a very large room with two enormous tables propped up against opposite walls. The hall was empty, save for the ANBU ninjas and two other people.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," a kind and gentle voice greeted. The speaker was quickly identified.

A long, silver beard; half-moon spectacles; twinkling blue eyes; lengthy, purple wizards robes; and a powerful aura exerted from the very core of his being were the main indicators.

This was Albus Dumbledore.

Standing next to the tall man was a smaller man with wispy white hair. He could have passed for a mad scientist with all of the curious and inquisitive looks he was giving the ninjas.

Sasuke switched his voice to cold and emotionless as he gave a curt bow. "I am Raven. They are Fox," Naruto bowed, "Hawk," Sakura bowed, "and Wolf." Kakashi gave a lazy bow. He was itching to take out his book.

Dumbledore looked amused. "Very nice to meet all of you. Won't you take off your masks?"

"Not until we find it appropriate to do so," was the dry reply.

Naruto and Sakura gave small chuckles. They knew Sasuke wouldn't be happy with another Uchiha Sasuke fan club.

"Very well then," a twinkle was dancing in Dumbleore's eyes. "Let me introduce you to Ollivander, the wand maker. I'm sure you'll be needing wands during your stay here."

Sasuke gave a curt nod and Ollivander shuffled forward with a large trunk in tow.

"Who shall be going first?" Ollivander asked in a crisp but kind voice.

"Ladies first," Sakura giggled. She stepped forward as Ollivander promptly opened the trunk and burrowed around inside.

"Let's try this one," Ollivander handed Sakura a wand.

She gave it a random wave and the sound of a foghorn burst forth.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no!" Ollivander cried as he snatched the wand away and burrowed for another one.

Two wands later, and Sakura found herself an eight-inch, cherry wood wand with a unicorn hair as the core.

"It's a very dandy wand for charms and the sort," Dumbledore remarked.

"I'm next then," said Kakashi, as he stepped forward as Sakura stepped back.

The first one Kakashi tried began producing small yellow birds. The wand was swapped for another that slowly produced giant metallic bubbles. Three tries later, and Kakashi had a ten-inch, oak wand with the tooth of a werewolf inside.

"Quite adept at transfiguration spells," Ollivander said joyfully.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. It was an indication that he was next. So far, six wands had been tested and all of them created large craters in the majestic hall whenever he waved them. On the seventh, however, poisonous green sparks erupted from the tip. Ollivander clasped his hands together in joy. Never mind where they came from, they were giving him a challenge!

Sasuke calmly stepped back in line with a thirteen-inch, hickory wand with the fang of a rare and venomous snake nestled inside.

"It's wonderful for hexing, although hexes themselves aren't quite all that wonderful," Ollivander absent-mindedly said.

Naruto bounced forward, excited after seeing everyone else. Now, if the previous trails made Ollivander happy, Naruto's made him so delighted, he looked as if he could fly.

All of the wands Naruto tried either flew out of his hand (one smacked him in the face) or did absolutely nothing.

Naruto made a nice pile of used boxes before he finally found the right one. He nearly cried in joy.

"My, my," Ollivander commented. "That's a strange one. Eleven-inch and made from maple, but I haven't the faintest idea what the core is. A foreigner dropped it off and I just fashioned a wand from it." The wand maker collected his boxes, shook hands with Dumbledore, and briskly strode out of the Great Hall.

Naruto was wondering what kind of core he had in his wand when a feral growl interrupted his train of thought.

"**That's. My. Fur.**" Kyuubi growled inside of the blonde's head.

"What?" Naruto said out loud, staring at the wand. Everyone else centered their attention to him.

"**Some punks thought it would be fun to pluck a piece of one of my tails out,**" Kyuubi huffed, displease at the memory. "**I barbequed one, but the other managed to escape with a single hair. I'd recognize the scent anywhere, especially when it's been preserved so well.**"

"Eww," Naruto said, disgusted. He held the wand at an arms length.

"What's wrong, Fox?" Sasuke whispered into Naruto's ear.

"The core… It's a piece of Kyuubi's hair," Naruto muttered.

"What? That's what's got your panties in a bunch?" Sakura asked, laughing.

"It's just weird. Shut up, Hawk, or I'll tell Raccoon all of your embarrassing childhood secrets!" the blonde threatened.

Sakura stopped laughing and gave Naruto a hard glare. "You wouldn't dare."

She received a playful grin with no promises in return.

Sasuke gave an exasperated sigh as he turned around to face Dumbledore, who had been watching the entire argument with an entertained expression. "We will be taking our leave then."

"But your lodgings…" Dumbledore began.

"Third floor, rooms five and six near the tapestry of Burmy," Sasuke coolly answered. The ANBU captain gave a small bow and then turned to leave. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura quickly followed.

As soon as the doors closed, Dumbledore murmured, "Now how could he have known that?"

oOo

As soon as the four left the room, Kakashi pulled out his dirty orange book and began to meander and read at the same time. He was completely cheerful and able to ignore the childish banter that was growing in volume. Sasuke, on the other hand, began to become annoyed with the constant bickering.

"Hey," Sasuke said irritably. "There's a forest over there. Why don't we train over there for the time being?"

The two shut up when they heard the word "train." Sakura cracked her knuckles and gave a devilish grin. "Payback time, Naruto."

Naruto gulped in fear and jumped behind Sasuke, quivering.

oOo

The forest rang with the sound of metal on metal, small explosions, and, if you listened carefully enough, the soft patter of footsteps.

Currently, Naruto was trying to avoid being squished by Sakura while chasing after Sasuke. Their masks were long forgotten in a small pile off to the side of the clearing they had discovered.

Sakura threw a ferocious punch at Naruto, who was unable to duck in time. "Yes!" she exclaimed in victory, only to frown in dismay moments later when her target hit a tree and disappeared in a small, white cloud of smoke.

"Shadow Clone Technique!" Naruto shouted as he jumped from a tree branch. Around twenty more clones appeared out of thin air as the blonde commenced his punitive attack on the ANBU captain lounging at the base of another tree.

Sasuke snorted. He didn't move despite the fact that it was raining Narutos'. Instead, the prodigy spread his arms up and to the side, his pale fingers spread like those of a puppeteer. At once, the group of clones was mashed together in midair, looking like a colossal body of limbs. There were slivers of sunlight reflected off of the finely spun thread that wove over every square inch of the clearing.

The Uchiha then smirked as he quickly shifted the strings so that his hands were in front of his mouth. He inhaled deeply, made a quick sign, and exhaled fire that rapidly crawled up the spindly threads.

The Naruto clones shrieked as they were set ablaze and destroyed moments later. The real Naruto stepped out from a shadow next to Sasuke's tree and his jaw dropped.

"You bastard! What if I had really been in there!" Naruto shrieked. He turned his wide blue eyes down to Sasuke, who hadn't moved from his sitting spot.

Sasuke was quiet before he said, "Hn," and stood up with a sadistic smirk.

The horrified blonde spun on his heels to face Sakura. "Hey Sakura, you don't think that Sasuke would really- Sakura…?"

Naruto looked at his pink haired companion with concern. She was unresponsive as she just stared blankly at something past Naruto's shoulder. The blonde and the raven looked in the general direction Sakura had fixed her gaze upon.

They saw a unicorn.

The coat was a pure, snow white. The mane, tail, and horn were a silvery white. The unicorn gave a graceful shake of its mane, looking more beautiful than a model on a shampoo commercial, and slowly began to trot towards the three ninjas.

The two boys were broken out of the reverie when Sakura gave a girly squeal and clasped her hands together in delight.

"It's a unicorn! I'm surprised it came out since we were making quit a ruckus, but I'm glad all the same. _It's coming towards us!_" she gushed.

Naruto gave a rather violent twitch at Sakura's effervescent attitude. Sasuke gave a light cough, embarrassed at having stared shamelessly at the mythical creature.

The unicorn stopped when it was right beside Sasuke and then proceeded to nuzzle the Uchiha's pale neck in affection.

Sasuke stiffened.

Sakura giggled.

Naruto glared.

"Well, it seems pretty things attract each other," Sakura said, her eyes filled with mirth.

Sasuke glared at his female companion for being labeled "pretty."

Naruto, however, glared at the unicorn. How dare it nuzzle Sasuke!

Unable to take anymore, Naruto marched forward, seized Sasuke by the hips, and pulled the Uchiha backwards to his chest.

"Mine," the blonde growled. Sasuke gave a faint flush.

Apparently, the unicorn understood the underlying threat and trotted away like nothing ever happened.

"Aww," Sakura moaned, gazing longingly at the unicorn as it faded with distance. "Why'd you shoo it away?" She then spotted the position the two were in. "Not that I mind," Sakura muttered. She inwardly cursed magic for being able to interfere with non-magical recording devices.

The moment was put to an end when the three felt the faint rumble of the earth and heard the distinct snap of twigs. They shared one glance and quickly secured their masks. Naruto and Sakura jumped behind nearby trees, effectively concealing themselves, while Sasuke stood alone in the center of the clearing.

Bait.

Soon, there was a rustling in the bushes and there stood two centaurs. Both of them were carrying bows that were locked and loaded.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes through the mask at the readied weapons that were being pointed at him. The two centaurs had a very menacing aura.

"I'd appreciate it if you would lower your weapons," Sasuke simply stated. Honesty was the best policy.

"As soon as you leave our forest, human," a navy blue one growled. He pulled back on his fitted arrow, the line now very taunt, threatening to shoot.

"Your forest?" Sasuke mocked, annoyed with the condescending tone. "Do you preside over every nook and cranny of this vast and dense forest? Do you know every crevice and control every living organism that calls this place home?"

"Bane, the insolent human shows no respect!" a rusty red roared, rearing upon his hind legs.

"Only because you first showed me none," Sasuke said coldly. "If your answer to my inquiries is no, then you cannot claim this forest as your own. And since you have no ownership, I find that you have no authority to request my removal."

The pair of centaurs looked miffed at these words, but did not deny them. There was a faint rustle and the centaurs suddenly found themselves under the captivity of Naruto and Sakura. Naruto was crouching on the back of the one known as Bane, holding several shuriken to the centaur's neck. Meanwhile, Sakura had ducked in between the bow and the rusty one with a kunai lightly pressed under the centaur's chin.

"My companions and I are commandeering this clearing for practice," Sasuke said, a lofty edge could be heard in his voice. "I trust you gentlemen have no objections?"

Bane looked murderous while his companion merely gave a resigned sigh and nodded his head in agreement.

Naruto hopped off from the back and Sakura took a step back. The centaurs then turned and stiffly galloped away.

The three ninjas pushed their masks to the sides of their faces. Naruto threw his hands behind his head and interlaced the fingers as he happily grinned. "Man, I love it when it's Sasuke's turn to deal with negotiations."

The Uchiha smirked while Sakura frowned. "I think we were a bit rude though," she said, not entirely please with the impression they made on one of the only intelligent beings in the forest.

"They deserved it. Actually, they should be glad they're still alive when they rushed in with weapons," Naruto snorted.

The pink haired ninja pursed her lips, but didn't say anything else.

The ANBU resumed their training well into the night without any interruptions. Apparently, wildlife gossip travels fast.

oOo

:D And that's chappie 1~! I'm still writing for my other fic (my only other fic... ;~;) Unlike The Tree Spirit, I have no idea what direction this is going in, so I'm open to suggestions ^^

;~; I'm also kind of worried about the quality of the chapter... D: My muse told me that I have self-confidence issues, because every time I read what I write, it feels acceptable, but somewhere in my mind, I'm thinking, "What if it's total crap to everyone else?"

BY THE WAY O_O This has absolutely nothing to do with the story, but does anybody know what's up with the chapter numbering on onemanga for the manga 07 Ghost? T.T Everything seems to be proceeding in chronological order without any lapse in the plot, but the numbering really throws me off...

And, I'm not the only one that can't wait till August for the next chappie of D. Gray Man,right? D: . Zomg, Allen!

Till next time~! ;D


	2. Welcome Back

I am so sorry for being absent from all of my stories for such a long, long time. I've had a lot of stuff going on (even though it's summer vacation) and I won't bother everyone by throwing out excuses. Sorry! But~ I'm back (hopefully not for a short while...)

Thanks for all of the great reviews!

Thanks to **banan** for explaining what was going on with 07 Ghost! I wouldn't mind reading the filler chapters though. And I have taken your question about the timeline into consideration and I have decided that it'll be explained in later chapters. Hope it gives you something to look forward to ;D

**Clone Trooper**: Ahaha, I guess Sasuke is a lot nicer than in the manga. I want Naruto to like him because I like yaoi? :3 Kakashi may not be a TOTAL pervert, but fans like me like to exaggerate that aspect of him a little more than necessary for fun xD

I have decided that the focus of this story will be plot, not couples. There will be hints and innuendos (heh, heh) but I want to take a step back from romance and try an action type fic. I may mutilate the story, but at least I'll have learned what I'm bad at... ;~;

So~ I'm not really up to date with the manga AT ALL. I stopped reading after Jiraiya died and then I picked up some tidbits from others (Double Mangekyo? Toad Power? Danzo? Kisame suicide? WTH?) I'm going to try to read some more so that I am updated on their crazy abilities but I'm not sure if I want to make them that crazy strong in this fic. Eh, we'll see -_-

I SAW HARRY POTTER 7 PART 2! Whoot! People started clapping after Harry snapped the Elder Wand and then the Epilogue of 19 years later popped up. Everyone was completely silent. And wow, they just changed Ginny's hairstyle and dress and she looked totally different!

As usual, if you see any mistakes of any kind, please let me know so that I can correct them ASAP. Thanks!

* * *

Chapter Two- Welcome Back to Hogwarts

* * *

Since their arrival, the ANBU ninja found themselves quite comfortable and adjusting well to a hectic life at Hogwarts. The teachers were quite informative and most were receptive to the Konoha ninja. Sakura became well acquainted with a Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey. Kakashi learned a lot of valuable information from Professor McGonagall. Naruto's positive and loud attitude made him instant friends with Hagrid, and Sasuke had relatively good terms with Professor Snape and Dumbledore.

The spells were also quite interesting and some of them were quite handy, which came as a surprise to the ninja. As common with the world of flashing kunai and shuriken, spells were looked down upon. But as the four encountered many spells that complemented their vast array of skills and techniques, they were forced to admit that magic wasn't all that inconvenient after all. Charms, healing spells, transfiguration spells, hexes, protection spells, and many other magical incantations fell in heaps upon the four ninja. They absorbed quite a bit of this information and had taken to practicing it with their everyday training sessions in the forest.

None of the ninja encountered any kinds of problems from creatures in the forest, ghosts in the castle, or house elves in the kitchen. However, there was one life form that did not escape an encounter with the ANBU ninja unscathed.

Peeves.

The little poltergeist was asking for trouble the moment he decided to get the ninja to lighten up through his preferred method. Sakura punched the blue creature through a wall and Kakashi offered to share the contents of his book. One glare from Sasuke was all it took to keep the devilish creature away from the Uchiha.

These failed encounters depressed Peeves. How on earth could he be the best prankster of Hogwarts if they newcomers were too strange or dangerous for him to approach? However, a wicked grin was slapped on the poltergeist's face as he observed Naruto. The blonde seemed a bit ditzy and less sharp than his frightening companions. This was all the motive Peeves needed to engage in a punitive prank attack.

The blue creature howled with laughter after he had been able to successfully dump an entire cauldron of ink on the blonde ninja's head, dying his golden hair black. He zoomed away, cackling at his success and plotting his next move. There was only one problem.

Peeves didn't know that Naruto would prank back with retributions augmented tenfold.

The poltergeist was horrified when he had returned to his resting place and found it completely redecorated in orange. A blaring shade of orange was splashed all over his den. After witnessing this spectacle, he swore revenge.

And so, a prank war erupted.

Which was later put to a stop by Sakura's fist.

But by all accounts, the four ninja were assimilating into their surroundings quite well.

* * *

Two figures were crouched on top of a speeding train painted black with a red stripe running horizontally throughout the entire body of the vehicle. A tuft of blonde hair was visible bending like reeds with the wind on one of the bodies. On the other, longer strands of black hair violently billowed like curtains behind a white mask.

Naruto and Sasuke had been chosen to accompany the train from and to Hogwarts. Kakashi and Sakura had opted to stay behind and prepare things at the castle. Naruto usually screwed up simple things by becoming distracted and Sakura wanted Kakashi to stay behind and do something _productive_ under her supervision. The pink haired female knew that Kakashi wouldn't do anything on the train but read, so she forced Sasuke to go.

On the train, Naruto shot Sasuke a feral grin, enjoying the wind that was rushing past his face. The morning air did wonders for Naruto's mood and the blonde found himself appreciating the most random things. For example, he found immense pleasure in discovering a cloud that looked like a bunny.

Yay, a bunny.

Sasuke enjoyed the morning air as well. It was always refreshing for him to be traveling with purpose and the air felt exhilarating. He ignored Naruto's animalistic grin and trained his eyes on the gray rectangle up ahead. They were approaching the station and Sasuke motioned Naruto to lay flat upon the surface of the train's roof.

The two ninja flattened themselves as the train came to a slow, screeching halt in the station. The students immediately began boarding the train in droves. Naruto scrunched his face in annoyance as he heard the shrill screams of owls, friends being reunited with loud and dramatic salutations, and trunks being thrown and dragged everywhere with haphazard care. With his good mood dissipating, the blonde turned his head towards Sasuke and hissed, "Where's the glasses brat?"

Sasuke sighed as he shot an irritated glare at Naruto. "The glasses brat?" he repeated, his words laced with venom. "Did you not even memorize the subject's name, dobe?" He turned his eyes away from the pouting blonde and trained them onto the mass of students, scanning for the one they were supposed to protect.

"Yeah, I did!" Naruto huffed. His bright blue eyes joined Sasuke's in a scan of students.

"What's his name?"

Naruto chewed the inside of his cheek. "I said I _memorized_ it. There's no need for me to tell you."

The Uchiha snorted. "_Memorized_, meaning you did in the past. Which means that in the present, in other words _now_, you've forgotten it. It's Harry Potter, dobe. Don't let Sakura find out that you've been forgetting _critical_ mission information," Sasuke taunted, smirking

The blonde didn't reply. Instead he stuck his tongue out at the black haired ninja and blew, small specks of saliva speeding out like little pellets.

They were both startled when the train began to slowly build up steam and head out of the station, towards Hogwarts.

"_Crap!_" Naruto swore, jerking his head impatiently as he entered a scanning frenzy. "Where's the midget?"

Sasuke frowned in displeasure. In case of an emergency, they needed to know which compartment their subject decided to stay in. They were professionals. How could they have missed the boy? His dark eyes narrowed in on a bunch of red haired individuals waving from the station nearby. If he remembered the file correctly, then Harry Potter had befriended an entire red haired family called 'Weasly.' Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he examined outraged faces sticking out from a window that were demanding information about whatever event was going to be held at Hogwarts. He spotted a mop of black hair among the red, as well as brown, and nudged his partner.

Naruto immediately caught Sasuke's line of vision and returned a sharp nod. The two of them stealthily crawled over to the little patch of roof directly above the compartment their subject was in.

Naruto indolently yawned as he felt the warming rays from the morning sun bearing upon his body as the train slowly began to pick up speed. He squirmed a bit before making himself comfortable on the roof with the cool breeze alleviating the heat that was boiling his skin. The blonde scrunched his face at his stoic partner. Really now, somehow Sasuke was completely fine with all the black he wore. Naruto yawned again, ignoring his partner's scathing glare. No one was going to hear him on top of the train. Lethargically, he listened in on the rampant whisperings occurring beneath him.

"Just what exactly is going on at Hogwarts this year that has everyone so secretive but excited at the same time?"

"I expect Durmstrang to be located somewhere north, since fur capes are a part of their uniform."

"The Quidditch World Cup was spectacular! You really should've been there!"

"I thought that everyone knew that Hogwarts was enchanted to keep muggles out. It's stated so quite clearly in _Hogwarts, A History_."

Naruto pouted in boredom. He forgot that he was dealing with teenage children and that their conversations weren't exactly supposed to be the most riveting things on the planet.

Well, either that, or Naruto wasn't exactly the easiest person to keep entertained.

There weren't any threats on the train that would get his blood boiling. The little kids down below weren't providing sufficient entertainment. And Sasuke was being an uncooperative and moody bastard.

Naruto made a desperate stab at a conversation. "So, that Malfoy kid is a real piece of work, isn't he?"

"Hn," was the only reply Naruto received from his black haired partner.

"I mean, he's always spouting stuff about his father and crap. He doesn't seem to have any style or sense," the blonde continued, hoping that by mutilating conversation, it would come to life and thus relieve him of any boredom.

"The only one with any sense is the girl."

Naruto glared at his companion. "You suck," he said, blowing a raspberry. "Haven't you heard of _small-talk _before?" There was silence. "I'm _so bored!_" the blonde moaned, rolling around on top of the train.

"Stop that, dobe!" Sasuke hissed. He was feeling very tempted to kick his partner off of the roof and make up a lie to Sakura about what happened. The Uchiha had noticed very quickly that Naruto only really focused whenever there was an emergency or there was some sort of ramen convention. Other than that, the blonde really lacked prudence and finesse.

Always.

"Then make something interesting happen!" Naruto complained, huffing as his rolling came to a stop.

"**Mm, I can make something interesting happen,"** Kyuubi commented, lazily flicking his tails around while he rested his head on top of his front paws.

Naruto perked up. _"What? What is it?" _he asked jovially, grinning like there was no tomorrow.

"**Rain,"** the fox sadistically smirked.

As soon as that word left his mouth, the blonde's smile slid off of his face as fast as gravity would allow. "Noooo!" Naruto howled, cringing.

"Damn it, I told you to be quiet!" Sasuke spat, scowling.

"I hate the rain!" Naruto whined, furrowing his eyes together as he pouted at Sasuke.

"What?"

And at that precise moment, rain began to fall upon the two ninja in thick sheets, completely drenching everything underneath the cloud's billowing reaches. The ninja remained silent as they sped towards the school, enduring the chilling rain while completely soaked to the bone.

* * *

The two ninja stealthily and quickly hopped off of the sleek roof before the train had even come to a complete halt. They darted into the castle and into a room located near the Great Hall.

"Jeez, you guys are completely soaked," Sakura commented while eyeing the puddle of water forming at their feet.

"Well, we forgot our wands," Naruto muttered, shaking his head and drizzling water everywhere.

"Watch it!" Kakashi warned, shielding his book with his body. There was no way he was getting _this_ volume watermarked by Naruto's animal habits.

"Here," Sakura said, tossing the two magical sticks. "Now hurry and dry off. We need to be in the Hall before those carriages come up."

Sasuke said nothing as he dried himself off. Naruto was murmuring curses at the rain as he caught his wand and also dried himself off. The four of them made eye contact and secured their masks.

"It's show time," Naruto grinned.

* * *

Harry was cold. No, scratch that, he was a freezing stick of ice about to fall over and shatter into a million pieces. The weather decided to hate him and rain a brand new ocean onto the Hogwarts castle. Harry flinched as a wave of water soaked his socks from a water balloon that had nailed Ron. He wiggled his toes uncomfortably. Or maybe his toes weren't uncomfortable at all.

He couldn't feel them.

"Peeves!" came the familiar roar of Professor McGonagall. "Knock that off this instant or the Headmaster shall know of it!"

"I ain't doing nothing," Peeves cackled while lobbing another water bomb towards a group of girls.

"Oh? Would you rather have me notify the guards?"

Peeves paled. "Oh no, no, no, no. That won't be necessary _Professor_. I'll just be on my way now," the poltergeist chattered before zooming away.

"Thank heavens there's a way to control him without relying on the Bloody Baron," Professor McGonagall sighed, looking pleased but tired at the same time. She began to usher the students indoors.

Harry picked up this piece of information with curiosity. Guards? At Hogwarts? Controlling Peeves? This was unheard of. He glanced over at Hermione and Ron and was pleased to note that they had picked up on the word 'guards' as well.

"Guards? What do you think Hogwarts needs guards for this year?" Ron whispered, hobbling down the corridor and into the Great Hall.

"Who knows," Hermione whispered back, rubbing her hands vigorously against each other for warmth. "I suspect it has something to do with whatever's going to happen this year."

"I suppose we'll find out soon," Harry chimed in as they approached the grand doors that belonged to the Great Hall. "I hope it's something good, seeing as Mr. Weasly and everyone else working at the Ministry kept dropping hints about it. Now my expectations are high."

Hermione pursed her lips, but said nothing while Ron enthusiastically nodded his head in complete agreement.

The trio walked past the entrance and into the Great Hall. When they entered, Harry noticed a level of excitement that was higher and more condensed than usual. Frowning, he shrugged it off and sat beside Ron. Hermione settled down next to Dean on the opposite side of the elongated table.

Not a second after their bottoms had met the wooden benches did Dean ask, "Would you three happen to know anything about these guards?"

Alarmed, the trio exchanged cautious glances before shaking their heads. Hermione was the first to speak. "How do you know about the guards?"

Dean raised an eyebrow, and with a tone that indicated the obvious, he replied, "Because everyone walked past two of them when we came in."

Harry swiveled his head to stare at the entrance and sure enough, there were two guards standing on either side of the majestic doors. He eyed the silver plated armor and black underclothes while scrutinizing the blonde and black hair of each guard behind animalistic masks. Harry carefully noted that the black haired one was rather rigid, but ready to jump into battle at a moment's notice. The blonde, on the other hand, seemed looser; he was leaning against one of the doors and was fidgety. Harry gave an odd look at the sword strapped to the back of the black haired one.

"Why's he carrying around a big stick?" Ron asked, his face scrunched up as he too scrutinized the new guards. "If someone wants to kill us, they're not going to wait for him to poke him or her to death."

"It's called a _katana_, Ron," Hermione lectured without looking at him as she craned her neck for a better view. "It's a lot more intricate than a _big stick_."

"Wouldn't want to cross that black haired one, eh?" Seamus commented as he joined the group. "There are two more on the other end of the Hall, next to the professors," he added.

Harry switched his field of vision for the ones in the back. He was fairly certain that the pink haired one was female. She stood at one end of the marble table and a man with gray hair stood at the other end, reading what seemed to be an orange colored book.

Seamus whispered excitedly with a gleeful look, "I know that book! My uncle was visiting Asia and he brought one back with him. I stole a peek and guess what?" He continued after waiting briefly. "It's _porn!_"

Hermione cringed in disgust. "What?" she exclaimed, "That can't be right. Do you really think a guard would be reading porn in the midst of underage students?"

"Say what you want, mate, but that's porn. I can guarantee it," Seamus said proudly.

Harry didn't doubt that Seamus was telling the truth; he looked far too pleased to be lying. But if these so called guards were supposed to be actual guards, he wasn't going to assume they could do much. One carries a sword and the other reads porn.

Why, Harry felt so much safer already.

The famous boy shook his head. He could take care of himself and as long as he had his friends by his side there wasn't anything to fear. Maybe he could trust them to some extent since Dumbledore trusted them enough to invite them to Hogwarts, but he couldn't depend on some mysterious entities. Harry turned his gaze upon their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

But there wasn't anyone there.

A quizzical look spread over his face as he turned to the other around him and asked, "Do we not have a teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts this year?"

The conversation the others had about the guards abruptly ended. Alarmed eyebrows shot up and inquisitive eyes scanned the great table of Professors.

"Was there no one willing to take the position?" Hermione whispered, horrified look on her face. Granted, if there was no teacher then the course would most likely have to consist of independent study with books, but even Hermione knew that practical lessons were immensely helpful to the learning process as well.

"It _is_ a cursed spot, mate," Ron shrugged nonchalantly. "I wouldn't mind having Lupin back though…" he trailed off wistfully.

Harry frowned. No teacher? What were they to do? Voldemort wasn't exactly dead and is constantly searching for ways to rise to full power once again. Students now had no teacher to teach the masses how to defend themselves against the dark arts.

He shoved all of these thoughts to the back of his mind as McGonagall walked in with the Sorting Hat and a herded group of first years behind her. Harry relaxed as the Sorting Hat began its song. It was too early in the school year to be tensed about the weight of the world and put on edge by a couple of out of place details. His attention was, however, perked at something that the Sorting Hat mentioned. A war of two worlds? Beware the greater evils? After that came talk about unity and trust, but it was the warnings that caught his attention the most. He watched the actual sorting occur and felt pleased to watch a sorting. Harry made sure to clap as each new Gryffindor joined the table.

He smiled as he heard Ron mutter "Finally" as the last student was sorted in and Dumbledore had given the green lights to begin their feast. Happily, the three tucked in all of the delicious food, some more vigorously than others.

Parvati, sitting a couple of people down in Harry's right, commented, "Those _guards_ haven't moved a muscle. Well, the one with the book being the exception, but he's only been turning the pages."

"I don't mind them not moving," Lavender sighed, staring dreamily at the one with black hair. "They seem to be in _really_ good shape though. I wouldn't mind seeing their faces. I bet he's a keeper." The two girls lapsed into a fit of giggles.

"Oh, he is, I can assure you of that girls," a nearby ghost pitched, fanning herself. "They're great around the castle and conduct themselves in a very polite manner. Well, the blonde one not so much and I've only ever seen the tallest one read." She continued filling the girls in on nonsense stuff.

Harry rolled his eyes as his interest in the conversation dwindled. Startled by a soft bang, he attention turned to Hermione, who had overturned a glass of pumpkin juice and looked livid.

"House elves? At Hogwarts?" she asked, horrified.

"Why, certainly," Nick, the pearly translucent ghost, replied. He was surprised at Hermione's outburst.

"Slave labor," Hermione hissed, glaring at the food laid out on the table with every inch of her soul. "That's what made this meal. Slave labor."

Harry shook his head as Ron tried to convince her to eat. When Hermione had decided not to do something, she was as stubborn as a mule.

Then, Dumbledore stood up and neatly folded his hands. The chatter that had been bouncing around the Great Hall froze and withered into silence. With an omniscient twinkle in his eye, Dumbledore began his speech. He spoke of the forbidden list and Hogsmeade before moving on to the real topic of the evening. "I regret to inform you, however," he said, his eyes sweeping the Great Hall, "that the annual Quidditch tournament will not be held this year."

This drew scandalized and outraged reactions from players and fans alike in the sea of students. Dumbledore smiled, understanding their indignant response.

* * *

There was a presence. Not necessarily filled with hostile intentions, but menacing. Uneven footsteps steadily plodded their way towards the doors of the Great Hall. Sasuke tensed and fingered the hilt of his sword. Naruto removed the hands that were clasped behind his head in a carefree posture to his pockets, where his fingers gently fingered his kunai.

They exchanged glances. The two weren't exactly sure why a single entity made them so edgy. They glanced over at Sakura and Kakashi. Kakashi's eyes peered over the top of his book towards the door. Sakura nodded, her stance widening.

Sasuke and Naruto waited until the presence they were feeling was 10 feet from the door before disappearing from the Great Hall entirely in a classic small cloud of smoke.

* * *

The movement of the ninjas abruptly cut off Dumbledore's speech. Sakura and Kakashi had moved in front of the long table where the professors sat, the book tucked away and game faces ready. The heads of the students whipped around quickly to the Great Hall's doors, where the ninjas had disappeared. Oddly, it was completely silent.

Wordlessly, Dumbledore waved his hands and the doors gently swung open as if they had been pushed. The sight that greeted the hundreds of eyes stunned most for various reasons. Sasuke had his sword pointed deftly underneath the stranger's chin and was standing off to the side. His hands did not shake and his posture never moved an inch. Naruto was located behind the stranger. The stranger's body blocked the positioning of his limbs, but the blonde wasn't standing there for fun. He held a kunai to the small of the stranger's back.

The stranger was a completely different story. He wore a tattered cloak, walked with a wooden leg, and had frizzy hair. Perhaps the most astonishing feature this man possessed that stood above all others was a cobalt blue eye that spun without restraint in the socket.

Sasuke's grip on his sword tightened. He didn't like this stranger at all. He especially didn't like that eye. Obviously, it wasn't a normal eye and had some ability or abilities imbedded within its system. Sasuke didn't like surprises. He moved his sword very slowly, almost tauntingly, to the side of the stranger's neck, where the katana hovered above the external jugular vein. He was about to immobilize the stranger further for questioning when Dumbledore's voice boomed:

"Stop!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in dislike at the command and his sword lingered around the neck, reluctant to move. Naruto tilted his head to the side as a warning to Sasuke and in a flash, the two were back at the entrance doors as if nothing had happened.

The stranger walked past the two, giving them appraising looks. His wooden leg clunked along the marble surface of the floor as he made his way towards Dumbledore. All eyes were on him. Sakura and Kakashi had moved back to their original spots, but their eyes were trained on the stranger through the slits of their masks. Dumbledore exchanged silent words with the stranger before he visibly brightened.

"May I introduce," Dumbledore announced happily as he motioned for the person to sit at the Professor's table, "Alastor Moody, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" The applause was scattered at best.

Naruto felt as if something was off. There was just something wrong with this stranger. His smells were clashing, as if there were two colliding. It wasn't something faint, like walking through the bakery in the morning and coming out smelling like fresh bread. No, this was something more dominant. Naruto shifted uncomfortably and whispered his uneasiness to Sasuke during the applause. Sasuke lightly nodded his head in understanding. The blonde then proceeded to make eye contact with Kakashi, who had no doubt noticed the same thing.

He shifted again. It was a bad habit of his that somehow stuck and showed itself whenever he had landed himself in trouble or was troubled by something. Why did everything have to be so complicated? They were expected to protect some kid and bring Orochimaru down. Then this worn out looking guy just had to pop in and smell funny. Naruto shifted and scrunched his face.

Maybe he was making it too complicated. What if in reality, everything was actually really simple? If this Moody was in cohorts with Orochimaru, he'd just kick their asses and be done with it. Yeah. That sounded like a good plan. The grin that had crept upon his face fell flat when he remembered that dear _Sasuke_ was team leader and that dear _Sasuke_ would probably want to be all cloak and dagger about things. Plan this, and then plan that small part that's in the plan, and don't forget to plan the other part of the plan. Yuck.

From the table, Harry wrenched his gaze from the sight of Moody eating to the ninja standing by the entrance of the grand doors to the Great Hall. He frowned as he spotted the blonde one constantly shifting. Did he have to go to the bathroom? Despite their flashy display earlier, Harry wasn't feeling too confident about these guards, but then again, they seemed very professional and emanated a chill ambience that installed a barrier between them and the students. He shook his head and turned back to listen to what Dumbledore was saying.

"Quidditch will be cancelled in order to accommodate another event that will take up most of the school year. I am please to inform all of you that the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts this year!" Dumbledore happily announced. He watched with twinkling eyes as his news instantly melted the cold ice that had been brought on by Moody's entrance. He chuckled as the Weasly twins burst out in disbelief and amazement and raised both of his hands to command silence upon the students.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasly and Mr. Weasly," Dumbledore said, eyeing the two. "We will be having two other schools joining in the tournament to strengthen the bonds between wizards and schools and to enjoy a little healthy competition."

As Dumbledore continued to talk, Ron had nudged Harry and asked, "Wouldn't it be great to participate in something like that? Think of the glory and the prize money!"

Hermione, who had been paying rapt attention to what Dumbledore was saying, squeaked at the mention of a death toll. "There's been a death toll!" she hissed across the table. "A huge death toll in the past that caused the tournament to be discontinued. I think that a tournament that has a death toll isn't worth participating in, no matter the prize."

"Lighten up, Hermione," Ron sighed, rolling his eyes. "Professor Dumbledore just mentioned how everything's going to be safer and stuff. I don't think that it'll be that dangerous."

"But still," Hermione whispered, looking off-balanced. "There have been people that have _died!_"

Harry tuned them out as they continued to bicker in hushed tones. Really, someone should just give them an award for being number one in the art of bickering and still remaining best friends. Maybe then they would stop. He perked up at a tidbit that Dumbledore had mentioned; the guards would also help keep the students safe.

Sasuke, naturally, heard this as well and blanched. They had never agreed to anything of the sort. He thought that they had been perfectly clear with each other regarding their terms and goals. They would protect the Potter kid, and only the Potter kid, in exchange for being able to use their facilities and being able to hunt Orochimaru. That was all. Not once had they ever agreed to watching a bunch of kids, in a competition no less, and make sure that no one got severely hurt. Sasuke twitched behind his mask. He would have to have a word with the Headmaster later.

But for now, he would have to remain vigilant as the students were being excused for bed. They had to be on their toes. Sasuke made a slight inclination with his head and the ninja cleared out of the hall in small wisps of smoke, earning some "bloody hell!" exclamations and gasps. It had been determined beforehand which dorm each would follow before rendezvousing in an empty classroom that had no paintings. Sasuke would follow the Slytherins, Naruto would follow the Gryffindors, Sakura would follow the Ravenclaws, and Kakashi would follow the Hufflepuffs.

Harry and his friends made it back to the common room after helping Neville out and bid each other goodnight. He climbed up the spiral stairs and changed his clothes before flopping into the bed. Harry grinned into his pillow as his dreams of being declared the Hogwarts champion and gaining Cho's affection began and continued well into the night.

* * *

The four ninja met in an empty classroom and stood facing each other in a square. Their figures were illuminated by a small amount of luminescent moonlight that seeped through a window.

"The target- oops, _subject_ made it safely back to the dorm," Naruto corrected himself with a small scowl. "He looked really happy about something before and after he fell asleep though."

"Well, it's to be expected," Sakura chimed in, twirling a piece of her pink hair. "He's a _male_ student with _male_ needs with a lot of pretty _females_ around. Not to mention there's the tournament going on. What were you expecting?"

"You mean he- uh, oh," Naruto gaped, speechless as he stared at Sakura. "Really?"

A derisive snort was the only thing that answered his question.

Kakashi closed his book and stashed it carefully in a pouch. "Onto more pressing matters," he said, catching everyone's attention. "I'm a little more concerned with the new teacher. Naruto's right- he smells completely off."

Naruto cringed his nose as he remembered the scent. "The problem isn't that we know that he smells off. The problem is that we just don't know _why_."

Sasuke stood with his arms folded. "As of now, he poses no credible threat. However, that doesn't mean that he can't become one. A wild card is always dangerous. We'll have to watch him carefully," he mused, his face drawn deep into thought. He shook his head in dismay at the not so great start they were having.

"Then tomorrow we'll just be taking turns watching the classes the subject is in while the others patrol?" Sakura asked, stretching her limbs. "I'll take the first shift. You two," she pointed at Sasuke and Naruto, "can sleep in after we're done patrolling tonight. I don't doubt that you'll need it." The two nodded.

"Thanks Sakura-chan!" Naruto cheered, hopping up and down in excitement. "In return, I'll tell you two of Gaara's weaknesses since Sasuke probably won't thank you."

The pink haired ninja perked up at this juicy piece of information she would be receiving. "What is it?" she demanded, leaning forward.

"Cookies and photos of Sakura-chan in bathing suits."

The four ninja returned to patrol- one with a book, one with a smirk, another with a large lump on his head, and one with a flushed face.

* * *

Oh jeez, I fail at romance/fluff x.x *rolls over* Meh, I'm going to go be depressed over this chapter and stuff myself with Chinese fried rice from down the street ;~; (it's sooo good! I don't think it's uber healthy for you though, but it's sooo good xD)

I'm sorry that not much happened this chapter... ;~; I wanted to put more BAM in it and then I failed... *sniff* miserably...

Thanks for reading though! Ciao!


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